according to the manner of man? Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely men?
We can hear in
Saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians his surprise and disappointment. When
he left them he thought they had pretty good insight. They were meeting
together and praying and sharing with one another; there was real harmony.
Then news
arrived they were quarreling and factions had appeared. How could it happen? How
could they not see their regression and loss of faith?
The spiritual life
is nothing if not cyclic. We make progress; we enjoy peace of mind, insight which
seems like wisdom, and harmony with others. Then it all falls apart. Peace of
mind wanders off like a distracted child; insight proves to be no more than opinion;
and relations with others are fraught with suspicion. And then someone comes along and says,
“You don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?” you
ask. “What am I not seeing?”
Saint Paul
identifies factionalism among the Corinthians. He can’t believe he has been
reduced from an apostle to a party. “I belong to Paul!” his so-called allies
say. Nor does he recall any conflict with Apollos. How could they have divided
the gospel between these faithful preachers?
Two thousand
years later and we have yet to understand that factionalism takes us further
from the truth and not closer to it.
In the 19th century Cardinal
John Henry Newman taught that heresies had helped the Church identify and
define the truth of the gospel. Those “definitions” actually avoid definition. They
say in effect, “We may not know how to express this mystery but that is not it!” We have defined the
Trinity, for instance, by insisting that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not lesser
gods, although both are obedient to the Father.
These hard-won un-definitions help the Church remain open to the mystery of God and
to diversity among us. No one needs to leave the communion to find the Truth. It
remains among us if only we’re willing to do the hard work of listening to
others, explaining ourselves, finding common ground, identifying differences
and letting time reconcile them. More often than not our theological
differences reveal non-theological issues like avarice, egotism, or
greed. Forming another sect in God’s church will only institutionalize our shortcomings.
As we experience cycles of grace –
Saint Ignatius called them consolation
and desolation – we should expect moments when we must refrain from embracing, but they should not signal a split in the
community. Rather, they invite us to deeper reliance on the Lord who claims
sole ownership of the gospel.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.